Sand Tale of A Red Fox Trail

photos by Jonathan SchechterTawas Point State Park, MichiganFeb 5, 2012

Winter weather has been skewed in southern Michigan, but the lack of shifting snows on the shores of Lake Huron give new opportunity to explore the cryptic lives of many species: the red fox among them. Tracking and the art of seeing (perhaps I should say understanding instead of seeing)is pure pleasure along the shoreline of Tawas Point State Park. These red fox tracks led from a nearly obscured den in tall grasses and shrubs on the leeward side of a dune down to the very edge of the shifting floes of ice. Perhaps the fox went for a drink. Perhaps he went to sit, watch and listen to the ice. Only the fox knows. I suspect it was both. But the tracks also went to a fresh pile of feathers. The fox slept with a full belly; the story in the sand told me so.

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About Me

Jonathan Schechter, a naturalist and resident of Brandon Township with a passion for outdoor adventure and severe weather events writes a weekly hiking column for the Oakland Press. He lives on 11 acres with a rich mix of wildlife, meadows, woods and wetlands. He has a Master of Science Degree in Forest Resources from the U. of Washington and is an active member of the Wilderness Medical Society certified in Advanced Wilderness Life Support. His writings and nature photos reveal ways humans are subtly yet dynamically altering the behavior of wildlife leading to a corruption of nature's way and wildlife behavior. Join his Earth Almanac blog as Jonathan shares thoughts on our natural world in Oakland County and beyond.